COM 0990.026 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

My name is Donald Topping I am Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. and current]) Presidem of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, a non- profit educational organization Hhose mission is to bring the discussion of current drug policies to the public forum The marijuana eradication program is bud drug policy for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is driven by money rather than positive outcomes, which have never been evaluated. In previous testimony I have proposed a direct link between marijuana eradication and the growine use of cr)'stal methamphetamine i''Ice") to Hawaii. That link has been well established through research completed in 1994 by Dr. Patricia Morgan et al. While this unintended consequence will not disappear it might be ameliorated by shifting the focus of law enforcement efforts from marijuana: cradtcation - a costly and time- consuming effort - to Tort urgent needs. I have also rccommended that the marijuana eradication program needs to be evaluated for its intended and unintended consegeences To my knowledge, this has never been done, e~ en though it is regmred ha la, .A thorough evaluation will, I am convinced. lead to the following conclusions I Marijuana has not been eliminated from, our state Any schoolchild anywhere in the state can obtain marijuana within a thi y-minute time frame or less.